The Tinder Box (13)

The Tinder Box (13)

In the morning the king and the Queen saw plainly where their daughter had been, and they took the Soldier a d put him into prison.

There he sat.
How dark and dull it was there !

And they told him; " Tomorrow you are to be banged. "

Hearing that did not exactly cheer him, and he had left his tinder box in the inn.

Next morning he could see through the iron grating in front of his little window how all the people were hurrying out of the town to watch him banged.

He heard the drums and saw the soldiers marching; all the people were running to and fro.

Just below his window was a shoemaker's apprentice, complete with leather apron and shoes; he was skipping along so merrily that one of his shoes flew off  and fell against the wall, just where the Soldier was sitting peeping through the iron grating.

" Oh, shoemaker's boy, you needn't be in such a hurry  ! " said the Soldier to him.
" There's nothing going on till I arrive. But if you will run back to the house where I lived and fetch me my tinder box, I will give you four shillings. But you must put your best foot foremost. " 

The shoemaker's boy was very willing to earn four shillings, and fetched the tinder box , give it to the Soldier, and ー yes ー now you shall hear. 

(13/15)